Alpha, Beta, Omega

Chapter Three

"I dealt with Mr Goldman," Kali said quickly, before Amy could protest or convince her to go deal with the customer. "For nearly an hour, I dealt with him, and I know he thinks I'm some sort of freak. He mutters about it often enough. So, you," she poked Amy in the knee. "Can go out there and deal with whoever has come to interrupt our lunch hour."

Amy whined softly but before she could form some sort of argument the man called out again.

"Hello?"

Amy sighed. "Fine," she grumbled, climbing from the sofa carefully so she didn't end up kicking Kali or anything. "But you owe me."

Kali saluted her just as the man called out again, which made Amy roll her eyes and shout, "Be right with you, sir." She gave Kali a look that clearly said is this idiot serious? which made Kali snicker as she watched Amy walk from the room with a huff of breath. Normally she would have listened to the conversation, a perk of being a wolf, but today she just closed her eyes and leaned back against the sofa, enjoying a moment of quiet before it was broken by Amy's loud shout.

"Hey, Kal! Guy's looking for a copy of William Blake's Songs of Innocence and Experience. Says he called earlier."

Kali sighed and pushed herself to her feet, knowing that Amy would pretend not to find it even if she told her friend where she'd put the book after the man had called inquiring if they had a copy. All because the man had interrupted their lunch break. Amy liked little revenges like that.

Dropping her half eaten apple into the rubbish bin she walked out into the store, smiling as she slipped between the stacks and headed for the counter. Amy was standing behind it, looking rather annoyed but trying to seem like a cheerful employee of the book store, while the customer leaned against the counter, clearly waiting as patiently as he could.

Kali spared him a glance as she passed, slipping around the counter. His hair was dark and curly, falling just to his shoulders. His face, angular but not sharp, bore a five o'clock shadow and he was smirking slightly, eyes hidden behind a dark pair of sunglasses. His posture spoke of a relaxed, if somewhat impatient, man. But Kali saw the tension in his shoulders. The way he turned his head subtly, looking towards the door as though expecting someone, before he looked back at Amy.

Without a word she reached beneath the counter and set the copy of Songs of Innocence and Experience on the counter, looking at Amy she gave a soft smile. Amy huffed as Kali patted her arm, stepping away and around the counter.

"Thanks, Kali," Amy called after her and she merely waved, heading over to straighten up a stack of the latest Stephen King novels, listening as Amy told the customer the price of the book.

"Keep the change, love," was his reply, voice rich and slightly accented, as he handed over the money, grabbed up his book and left the shop without another word. Kali heard Amy huff again as the door closed behind the man, the bell ringing softly.

"Stuck up, prick," Amy muttered and Kali grinned, though it faded when Amy suddenly snarled. "What the hell is this?!"

Turning, she found Amy holding up money that was most certainly not American.

"That little thief!" Amy tossed the money on the counter. "That book cost nearly nineteen dollars! My Aunt Carroll's going to freak!"

Kali hurried over and looked at the money for a moment before she smiled a bit. "Actually, it's fine."

Amy blinked, giving her a very good Are you shitting me? expression, before snatching up one of the bills from the counter. "There is no way this," she shook the money at Kali. "Is equivalent to..."

"It's British Pounds, Ames." Kali giggled and shook her head, picking up the money and handing it to Amy. "About thirteen pounds to be precise. Which covers the cost of the book and gives about a dollar extra."

Amy blinked owlishly, looking at the money she held before stuffing it into the till. "And how do you know all that, Miss Smarty-Pants?"

It was Kali' turn to roll her eyes. "I took a business class last semester. We covered foreign money exchange."

Amy hummed softly. "Guess he wasn't a prick after all."

Kali laughed.

"Good to know," she said but saw the odd look on Amy's face as he friend glanced at the door as though she thought the customer was about to walk back in. "Amy?"

"Did he seem odd to you?"

Kali blinked.

"Odd? Odd how?"

Amy shrugged. "Just...odd. He seemed pretty tense for a guy just picking up a book."

Kali frowned. "I did notice that."

Amy nodded, as though Kali had just confirmed some great mystery, before she said, very calmly, very seriously. "He wasn't pack."

"What?!"

Kali looked at Amy like she'd lost her mind. "Ames...he...he's probably new to town. He..."

"He's not pack, Kal."

Kali shook her head. "You don't know that."

"He smelt like an Alpha who isn't Benjamin."

That made Kali blink and her surprise and shock must have been very evident on her face because a low rumble bubbled up from Amy's chest. "You couldn't smell that?" Her friend sounded surprised and a bit suspicious, and Kali merely shrugged, quickly looking away from those sharp blue eyes, instinctively tipping her head to one side and exposing her neck. Sometimes her friend's status as a Beta was a pain. Especially times like this.

"Shit," Amy reached out across the counter, managing to awkwardly hug Kali. "I didn't mean...you didn't have to submit..."

Kali shrugged again. "Habit," she reasoned before waving her hand to clear the air between them. "As for our...guest...no I did not smell him. Heck, I didn't even think to scent him."

Amy studied her silently for a moment before shaking her head.

"Ah, well, doesn't matter. He's probably just passing through."

"Probably," Kali agreed with a small smile. "Now, how about lunch?"

Amy nodded eagerly and led the way back to the break room.